The Portland daily press., 1887-02-03
Majority Report of the Cattle Com.
niSsioners.

commissioners has occupied the attention of
| the committee on agriculture this afternoon
and evening. DR.. Bailey went before the
committee and read his report, and Secretary
| Gilbert was there to explain why he dissent
ed from DR.. Bailey in the treatment of the
State College herd. which was killed last
| spring because afflicted with tuberculosis.
DR.. Bailey's report shows that as long ago as
1876 an animal from the college farm was
| found suffering from tuberculosis. All those
ten years, under different farm management,
| that faint continued in those stables until
last year it eliminated in the wholesale
slaughter OF fine herd valued at thousands
| OF dollars Dr. Bailey disclaims any inten-
tion of charging that the college authorities
| wrongfully concealed the true state of affairs
| during the ten years. He simply states that
the disease had existed for long time. His
| report is very exhaustive history of the
outbreak, and with its general disquisition
| on tuberculosis makes most valuable public
| document
The point on which DR.. Bailey and Secre-
tary Gilbert disagreed was in relation to
eleven young bulls that were sold from the
| college farm shortly before the herd was
killed. These bulls were scattered over the
State. As it, was realized what danger
Bailey was in favor of tracing up the bulls
and having them killed, In order that they
might not disseminate the disease which
was probably hereditary with them, but
Secretary Gilbert did not agree with him.
In defending his course, tonight, the Sec
retary said he assumed the position he did
because he felt that the laws of the State
were not such as to allow the course pro-
posed by DR.. Bailey. Neither would he join
with DR.. Bailey in recommending the need
ed legislation, because he thought it the duty
OF cattle commissioner, as specified by the
law, to report what he had done, not TO ad-
wise the Legislature. So these bulls have
been left to give the retainted offspring to
the stock of the State They are now three
or four years old, and one of them, which
was sold in Bucksport, is known to have
developed tuberculosis.
Dr. Bailey is of the opinion that at present
tuberculosis does not exist in Maine to
great extent. 1t has been confined to the
State College, and If, when the herd was
killed, the young bulls had been followed up
and killed, the dread disease would have
happened in Maine only in isolated cases.
Now he thinks the only course is to follow
up all animals that are related to the college
animals and have them killed at public ex-
pense.. 1t is doubtful if the committee ON
Bailey. As one of the members expressed it
tonight, they think it might be too intricate
job to hunt out all those bills and the
progeny which are. getting into the third
generation. DR.. Bailey lays great stress on
the immunity of Maine cattle from the dis
ease, while in Massachusetts 1t has become
so prevalent that the cattle commissioners
do not attempt to stamp it out by hunting
out and killing diseased cattle, although
private individuals are killing very valuable
animals there when infection is found. But
portion, at least, of the agricultural COM
mittee are disposed to take the case Of Mas
sachusetts as an example instead Of warn
ing 1.-THE cattle commissioners don't kill in
Massachusetts" they say, 'why should we
here?"
That Ferry Landing. =
The bill to repeal that portion of the laws
of 1873 which allows the county commission
ers of Cumberland county to lay out way
into tide waters, has caused considerable ex-
citement. The bill, as is well known, is
aimed at preventing the cost of the famous
ferry landing from falling on Cumberland
county In the House it was referred to the
Cumberland county delegation. When it got
into the Senate, that body non-concurred
with the House, and referred it to the judic-
larry committee. The bill then went back to
the House, which should either have con-
CURED with the Senate, or non-concurred
and asked for a committee of conference.
But by some error the bill passed into the
batch Of bills going to the judiciary room,
and the Portland men who were watching
for it to come up in the House, saw nothing
OF it. In the afternoon it was discovered in
the judiciary. docket. This morning Mr.
Dow called the matter to the attention of the
House by a resolution directing the clerk to
change the record so as to correct the error.
Today the proper action was taken by the
House, and Messrs. Dow, Clark and Har-
ringt0n appointed committee to confer
with Senate committee as to the reference
of the bill. The Portland men hold that as
the ferry landing is a Cumberland county
matter, the bill should go to the Cumberland
dol i'm, Rrff fho ro, aAr.IA ht,.1- k1.<
Cumberland delegation hostile to the ferry
landing, and want it to go to some other COM
mittee
MR.. Looney's Bill.
The subcommittee of the labor committee,
Messrs. Lumbert, Lyons and Roberts, have
virtually decided what bill to report. 1t will
be the Looney bill. These slight modifica-
tions will be amended. Section 4, relating
to forfeitures will be stricken out, and in its
place will be substituted section allowing
employers and employees to contract fora
weeks notice Of intention to leave or to dis
charge, either side emitting to give the notice
forfeltlng the value OF weeks wages. Also
that clause which provides that no child be-
tween u and 10 years shall work unless he
or she has attended school four months the
year before, is amended with the provision
that it shall not take effect until Jan. 1st,
cleaned out Of their young held all at once
because they have not attended the required
schooling this last year. The clause also
which stated that the provisions of the bill
should not apply when it should be neces-
sary in a mill to do any other thing to pre-.
vent interruption of the ordinary running of
machinery" has been stricken out, as it was
feared it might defeat the whole purpose of
the bill if enacted. With the exception of
these changes, the bill will be reported in its
original form.
OF Interest to Portland.
The committee on finance, to whom was
referred the matter of reformatory prison
for women, held an adjourned meeting today
and will make a full report to the Legisla-
ture commencing the policy of separation of
the women by separate building. 1t is
understood that they have no completed
plan. They will call upon the Governor and
Council to investigate the whole matter of
expense, etc, with view to the establish
ment Of the prison, in the near future.
The committee on ways and bridges held
a meeting today, and decided to report
favorably the bills to relieve Portland of the
support of Pride's and Stroudwater bridges.
Only one man voted against so reporting,
and it is said that he will not make any mi
nority report. Judge Symonds' argument
that no contract existed which compelled the.
continuance of the arrangement, was what
brought the committee. Mayor Chapman
was present at the State House today, and
seemed greatly pleased with the city's good
fortune thus far.
The Soldiers Monument.
This evening in the room of the Judiciary
committee the committee on legal affairs
heard gentleman from Portland talk over
the fate of Old City Hall. Gen. John Mar
shall Brown opened for the Monument As
sOciation with a review of their work and an
explanation Of just what was asked of the
Legislature.
Mayor Chapman, who was present, ex-
planned that the city government had
thought that in question of such moment
the people themselves should make the de-
cision.
Major Boyd spoke Of the overwhelming